they are praying to a deity so that they can receive that deitys forgiveness from a crime that deity invented and to avoid an infinite punishment for a finite offense prayer is the outright rejection of personal responsibility either for studying your schoolwork doing your job properly or being a total dickhead to people you meet just because theyre different sure pray it away and pray for forgiveness and for pardons from infinite punishments prayer to me is funny from an i cant believe you think this is a worthwhile way to spend your time perspective